Cushioning mechanism



Oct. 17, 1939. w. H. MUssEY CUSHIONING MECHANISM Filed May 12, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 NN mw .wim mwwk Lvlvn TY Q ww Nm, En

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ATTORNEYS Oct. 17, 1939.l f w. H. MussEY f 2,176,223

cUsHIoNING MECHANISM Filed May l2, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @ya d Iggy/3,

ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 17, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,176,223 cUsHIoNING MECHANISM Application May 12, 1937, Serial No. 142,105

6 Claims.

This invention relates to coupling and draft mechanisms for use on railway vehicles, such as cars or motive power units, and is concerned more particularly with a novel apparatus for connecting together the units of a train, which operates with a smooth cushioning action and has great capacity and ruggedness so that it is suitable for severe conditions of service. The apparatus of the invention may be employed with slight changes in railway vehicles of various types, capacities, and sizes, but since it affords special advantages when employed on freight cars, an embodiment ofthe invention suitable for that purpose will be described in detail for purposes of explanation.

The draft gears commonly used in freight service are of the friction type, but these gears are objectionable in that'they permit the development of free slack between the coupler and car structure. The reason for this is that the gear is mounted between draft stops in a pocket, and when a force in buff, for instance, is applied to the coupler, the coupler yoke compresses the gear against the rear draft stops and the gear is shortened so that its front end moves away from the front stops. If the force in buff is suddenly changed to a force in draft, as frequently occurs in service, the coupler and yoke may move forward freely until the gear has moved in the pocket into contact with the front stops. The space which develops, upon compression of the gear against its stops, represents free slack, and the occurrence of such free slack results in the transmission of shocks and jars to the car structure.

To overcome the disadvantages inherent in the use of friction gears, it has been proposed here tofore to employ cushioning devices in which the cushioning action is effected by resilient elements, such, for example, as rubber, and devices including rubber have been developed by which free slack is eliminated, these devices comprising a pair of cushioning units operating in alternation to cushion forces in buff and draft, respectively. In order that such devices may have the desired capacity, the cushioning units must be of substantial dimensions, and in order to increase the capacity in buff, in which the more severe forces are applied, it has been proposed to equip each coupler with two cushioning mechanisms, the main mechanism operating both in buff and in draft, and the supplemental unit operating only in buff. Constructions of the type which include a main and a supplemental cushioning unit have also been proposed in which the cushioning action is effected by means of springs, and in some instances, friction devices have been employed in such combinations.

The present invention is directed to the provision of a coupling and draft mechanism, which includes a main and a supplemental cushioning unit, these units being of varying constructions, although preferably including rubber as the resilient element. The main cushioning unit of the mechanism is connected to the coupler by a yoke, and forces in buff applied to the yoke are transmitted thereby to the supplemental unit so that both units act under buff conditions. The transmitting means employed for the purpose is of novel construction and it is simple, vof great strength although light in weight, and can be readily installed in the space between the longitudinal sills of a standard car. Preferably, the main cushioning unit is of the twin type and includes two units operating in alternation.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal, horizontal sectional view, partly in plan, showing one form of the new apparatus;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional view, partly in elevation;

Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6 are sectional views on the lines 3 3, 4 4, 5 5, and 6 6, respectively, of Figure 2;

Figures 7 and 8 are elevational views of details of the apparatus;

Figures 9 and 10 are elevational and plan views, respectively, of a housing employed in the new apparatus;

Figure 11 is'a plan View of one form of yoke used in the new apparatus;

Figures 12 and 13 are front and-side elevational views, respectively, of a part of the supplemental cushioning unit;

Figure 14 is a front elevational view, with a part broken away, of one form of cushioning element which may be used in the new apparatus; and

YFigure 15 is a sectional view showing the manner in which the cushioning element of Figure 14 is assembled with associated parts.

The apparatus of the invention may take various forms and may include cushioning units which contain friction elements in the form of wedges, shoes, or the like, acted on by springs, or combinations of plate and coil springs. The units may also include resilient material such as rubber, serving as the cushioning element, and the 13. RAILWAY DRAFT 2. APPLIANCES.'

use of cushioning units which include rubber is preferred.

In that form Aof apparatus illustrated in the drawings, the mechanism is shown as installed in a standard draft pocket defined by the longitudinal sills I5 of the car, although the pocket `may be formed in any other suitable manner. Within the pocket are spaced abutment means for the cushioning units, and, as illustrated, the abutments or draft stops include front stopsv I6 of the usual type and secured to the sills by rivets I1, and rear stops I8 which are preferably in the form of plates secured against the inner faces of the sills by welding, as indicated at I9.

Between the front and rear stops is a cushioning mechanism which is encircled by a yoke 20 connected to the shank 2l of coupler 22. In the construction illustrated, the yoke is pivotally connected to the coupler and for this purpose, the forward end of the yoke is provided with spaced lugs 23, 24, 25, andthe rear end of the coupler shank is provided with lugs 26, 21, received in the spaces between the lugs on the yoke. The several lugs are drilled to receive a pin 28 and the lug 25 on the yoke has a hollow boss 29 into which the pin 28 extends, the pin being held in place by a key 30, passing through a transverse bore in the boss and through the pin. The openings through the lugs on the yoke and shank are so disposed that, when the pin is in position, the rear ends of the lugs 26, 21 on the shank are out of contact with the yoke. As a result, all forces applied to the pin produce shearing stresses but, since the stresses act at four different places on the pin, the pin used may be of relatively small diameter.

In the apparatus illustrated, the main cushioning mechanism includes a pair of cushioning units operating alternately as forces in buff and draft are applied to the coupler. The forward unit, conventionally illustrated at 3I, includes a plurality or rubber bearing plates, each of which consists of a sheet metal plate 32 provided. with masses of rubber secured to the opposite faces thereof, the rubber taking the form, for instance, of a plurality of rings 33 applied to opposite faces of the plate and secured in position by tongues of rubber 34 extending through openings in the plate from a ring on one face to a ring on the other. Adjacent rubber plates 32 are separated by sheet metal separators35, and a sufficient number of rubber plates and separators are employed to build up a unit of the desired size. The rear unit 36 within the yoke is of the same construction as the front unit and both units include followers 31, 36 bearing against the front and rear draft stops I5, I8, respectively.

The yoke 39 is of the vertical type and it includes longitudinal top and bottom members 40 connected by a frontend piece 4I from which the faces of the cross piece and adjacent ends of the cushioning units. The front end and rear pieces 4I, 42 of the yoke must pass between the what narrower than the width. of the plates of which the cushioning units are made up. The cross piece 43 is of substantially the same dimensions as the plates, and to provide support for its ends, the longitudinal members 40 are formed with web portions 45 which extend out to the ends of the cross piece. .The yoke is supported between the sills by a carry iron 46 secured to the sills in any suitable way, as by bolts 41, and the bottom member 40 may be stiilened by the ribs 49'* which rest on the carry iron.

In the construction illustrated, the end pieces 4I, 42 of the yoke do not contact the follower blocks 31, 38, and the blocks are of U-shape so that their middle sections are spaced from the end pieces. Accordingly, on the application of a force to the coupler resulting in a movement of the yoke, one or the other of the cushioning units is compressed against its stops by the yoke cross piece 43, while the other unit is allowed to expand. ,-Pre ferably, the units are installed in the apparatus under a relatively high effective compression, such that as one unit is compressed,

the other expands by an equal amount. Each body bolster, indicated at 48, and a supplemental cushioning unit 49 is installed between the sills I5 to the rear of this bolster. 'Ihis unit is preferably of the rubber type and includes a plural` ity of rubber bearing and spacer plates mounted between front and rear follower blocks 50, 5I. The rear block is preferably secured in position by being welded to the sills as indicated at 52, and stops 53 of conventional construction may be secured to the sills to the rear of the block to help hold it in position. The supplemental unit 49 is supported on a carrier plate 54 which is secured to angle irons 55 welded to the lower flanges of the sills by bolts 56. Preferably, the plates used in the main and supplemental units are of the same size, and as the plates in the supplemental unit are not enclosed within a yoke, a spacer member 51 is attached to the under surface of the cross web 58 of the sills by welding, this member serving to prevent the plates from being forced out of position.

The forces in buff applied to the coupler are transmitted to the supplemental unit by a compression member 59, which may be a tube mounted at its forward end on a hollow extension 60 on the rear end piece 42 of the yoke. The rear end of the member is mounted upon a hollow projection 6I secured to the outer face of the front follower block 50 of the supplemental unit, and the member is longitudinally slotted, as indicated at 62, for the passage of the usual kingpin 53. The compression member is supported within housing 64 within which it is free to Slide, and this housing is in the form of a tube. At its forward end, the housing is slit longitudinally at top and bottom and the edges of the slits are flared, as indicated at 65, to provide two spaced at end pieces engaging the rear stops I9 on .either side of the rear end piece 42 of the yoke.

which can be installed without difficulty, and

The construction is such that the yoke end piece may move back between the end pieces of the housing without interference with the housing, and the housing provides substantially continuous support for the tubular member 60 throughout its entire circumference and from end to end of the latter. Preferably, the housing is reinforced by addition of metal at each end of each slit 66.

The housing 64 is held in position between the sills by a plurality of supporting elements, which include transverse plates 61 in position by being welded to the sills and housing, as indicated at 68. The plates 61 having curved inner walls 69 fitting the outer surface of the housing 64, and the plates are assembled in groups of four. Two such groups are provided at 10, 1|, and the groups preferably lie in alignment with portions of the body bolster 48. Betweenthe groups of plates 10, 1I, is a single transverse plate 12 which is secured to the sills and housing by welding, as at 13, and is formed with a curved inner wall 14 fitting the outer surface of the housing 64. The plate 12 has an opening 15 for the passage of the king-pin, and a tubular sleeve 16 is provided for the pin, this sleeve lying within the opening 15. The sleeve is Welded at its upper end to the housing 64 and at its lower end to a carrier plate 11 secured by bolts 18 to the lower anges of the sills I5, the welding being indicated at 16a.

In addition to the transverse supporting plates, the housing 64 is held in position by longitudinal plates 19 installed between the transverse plates, and preferably extending both at right angles to the sills and diagonally of the space defined by the sills and welded to the sills at their outer ends and to the housing 64 at .their inner ends. In the construction illustrated, there is a group of plates 19 in front of the group of transverse plates 10 and secured thereto by welding, another group between the transverse support 10 and the plate 13, and another group between the plate 13 and the transverse support 1|. The transverse and longitudinal plates are assembled in place from the lower end of the pocket and can be installed without difficulty by welding in the manner indicated.

With the construction described, forces in draft applied to the coupler cause the front cushioning unit 3| of the main mechanism to be compressed against the front stops I6 by the yoke cross piece 43, while forces in buff are cushioned by the rear unit 36 of the main mechanism, compressed against the rear stops I9, and by the supplenental unit 49. The rearward movement of the yoke, upon application of a force in buff, causes the yoke to move back with its rear end piece entering the space between the spaced ends of the housing 64, and the end piece moves the compression member back to compress the supplemental unit.

The housing 64 encloses the compression member substantially from end to end, and, thus, not only provides a support therefor, but prevents the member from buckling or becoming distorted in operation. The compression member may, therefore, be of tubular construction, and the entire transmitting means consisting of the member, the housing, and the housing supports, are relatively light in weight but have the necessary strength, rigidity, and sturdiness. By forming the housing supports of a plurality of parts assembled between the sills and secured in place by welding, a simple construction ls obtained since the housing is welded to the supports and abuts the rear stops of the main cushioning mechanism, the housing strengthens the stops and makes it possible to use plates welded in position instead of stops of the ordinary construction.

In the apparatus as illustrated and described, the main and supplemental cushioning units include rubber as the resilient element, but it is to be understood that cushioning devices of other types or combinations of different cushioning devices may be employed, if desired. The use of cushioning units employing rubber, however, is preferred, since they may be installed in such a way as to prevent the development of free slack.

I claim:

1. In a railway vehicle, the combination of a coupler, a yoke connected thereto, a main cushioning mechanism encircled by the yoke and cushioning the movements of the coupler, a supplemental cushioning unit including a front follower block having a projection thereon, the yoke having a similar projection, a compression member mounted on said projections, and a housing enclosing the compression member substantially from end to end.

2. In a coupling and draft mechanism foruse ona railway vehicle, which includes a coupler having a shank, a main cushioning means mounted on the vehicle in alignment with the coupler shank, and a yoke encircling said means and connected to the coupler shank, the combination of a supplemental cushioning unit beyond the main cushioning means, a compression member engaging the yoke and transmitting to the supplemental unit forces in buff applied to the coupler, and a housing for supporting and guiding the member in its movements with the yoke, said housing having an end lying close to the yoke in the normal position of the latter, said end being enlarged to permit the yoke to enter it when moved by the application of forces in buff thereto.

3. In a coupling and draft mechanism for use on a railway vehicle, which includes a coupler having a shank, a main cushioning means lying between longitudinal walls on the vehicle, and a yoke encircling said means and connected to the coupler shank, the combination of a supplemental cushioning unit between the walls, a compression member engaging the yoke and transmitting to the supplemental unit forces in buff applied to the coupler, a housing enclosing the member and supporting the guiding it in its movements, and a plurality of supports for the housing between the housing and walls and secured to both housing and Walls, the end of the housing adjacent the yoke lying close to the yoke in the normal position of the latter and being enlarged to permit the yoke to enter upon application of forces in buff thereto.

4. In a coupling and draft mechanism for use on a railway vehicle, which includes a coupler having a shank, a main cushioning'means lying between sills on the vehicle, an abutment engaged by the rear end of the cushioning means, and a yoke encircling the cushioning means and connected to the coupler shank, the combination of a supplemental cushioning unit between the sills, a compression member engaging the yoke and unit to transmit to the latter forces in buff applied to the coupler, and a housing for supporting and guiding the member in its movements with the yoke, said housing having an end engaging said abutment, said end being enlarged to permit the yoke to enter it when moved by the application of forces in buff to the coupler.

5. In a draft mechanism for use on railroad cars which comprises a coupler, a yoke attached thereto and movable therewith, a main cushioning mechanism encircled by the yoke and cushioning movements thereof in both directions, and a supplemental cushioning unit acting through a. compression member to assist the main mechanism in cushioning movements of the coup-ler produced by forces in buff, a housing for supporting and guiding the member in its movements, the housing consisting of a tube secured to the car structure and having longitudinal diametrically opposed openings in its Wall adjacent the end near the yoke, the portions between said openings being flattened and spaced apart sufficiently to permit the end of the yoke to be received between them in a. movement produced by a force in buil'.. i

6. In a railway vehicle, the combination of a. coupler, a yoke connected thereto, a main cushioning mechanism encircled by the yoke and cushioning the movements of the coupler, a supplemental cushioning unit aligned with the main cushioning mechanism and including a front follower block, and a. compression member having one end in engagement with the block and the other end in engagement with one end of the yoke, when the latter is in normal position, said end of the yoke having a projection receivable in a recess in the end of the member normally engaging the yoke.

WILLIAM H. MUSSEY. 

